Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles

Amarante

Sun, May 07 2023, 7:39 am

This was a good version of a classic dish. If you want it more substantial you can shred some chicken or even tofu.

If you are making ahead of time you should pour a bit of the sauce into the noodles but DO NOT use all of the sauce until you plan to serve it. If you pour the sauce ahead of time too much will be absorbed into the noodles and the dish will be dry.

Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles

Recipe from Shorty Tang and Ed Schoenfeld
Adapted by Sam Sifton

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 pound noodles, frozen or (preferably) fresh
2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash
3 ½tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste - you can use tahini but see notes as you would need to add a bit of sesame oil and a bit more peanut butter to replicate the flavor
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chile-garlic paste, chile crisp or chile oil, or to taste
Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into ⅛-inch by ⅛-inch by 2-inch sticks
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts

PREPARATION

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes. They should retain a hint of chewiness. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a splash of sesame oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili-garlic paste.

Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with cucumber and peanuts.
Tip

The Chinese sesame paste called for here is made of toasted sesame seeds; it is not the same as tahini, the Middle Eastern paste made of plain, untoasted sesame. But you could use tahini in a pinch. You need only add a little toasted sesame oil to compensate for flavor, and perhaps some peanut butter to keep the sauce emulsified.

Last edited by Amarante on Sun, May 07 2023, 7:48 am; edited 1 time in total

Amarante

Sun, May 07 2023, 7:40 am

Or you can make your own sesame paste which is like making any nut butter but because it uses unhulled sesame seeds it has a more intense nutty flavor than tahini

How to Make Sesame Paste

Prep Time
10 mins

Cook Time
10 mins

Total Time
20 mins

Ingredients

8 ounces sesame seeds about 2 cups or 227g
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Instructions

Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium low heat until golden and fragrant (careful not to burn them).

Allow the sesame seeds to cool, and place in a food processor or blender with sesame oil.

Grind down to a paste, and continue streaming in sesame oil slowly until a smooth paste forms. You can also add salt to taste, if desired.

Amarante

Sun, May 07 2023, 7:52 am

mha3484 wrote:

If this is the mark bittman recipe I remember Ive been making this for many years. Its delicious.

This is a variant - Bittman's recipe already includes the chicken and is hotter since it has Chile Garlic paste and hot sauce.

I will post Mark Bittman's recipe if anyone wants to do a side by side comparison

Cold Noodles With Sesame Sauce, Chicken And Cucumbers

It doesn't surprise me how often people order cold noodles with sesame sauce at Chinese restaurants. What is surprising, though, is how few people make the dish at home. It is incredibly easy to prepare, with common ingredients, and you can serve it as a main course or appetizer.

You don't even need sesame sauce. Peanut butter is an acceptable substitute, as long as you use good peanut butter, simply defined as that made with peanuts and salt. (The name brands contain about 10 percent added hydrogenated fat, plus a couple of other typical additives.) Creamy is more common, but chunky is also good.

It's easy enough to buy sesame paste (tahini) at health-food stores specializing in Middle Eastern ingredients and even at supermarkets. Sesame oil, which contributes mightily to the flavor of the finished dish, is a staple sold in Asian food stores (and, increasingly, in supermarkets).

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Salt

1 to 2cups shredded cooked chicken or about 8 ounces boneless chicken breast
1 pound cucumber
12 ounces long pasta like linguine, or 16 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
½ cup sesame paste (tahini) or peanut butter
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon minced ginger, optional
1 tablespoon rice or wine vinegar
Hot sesame oil or Tabasco sauce to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more
At least ½ cup minced scallions for garnish

PREPARATION

Set a large pot of water to boil and salt it. If your chicken is uncooked, poach it in water as it comes to a boil; it will cook in about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel cucumbers, cut them in half, and, using a spoon, scoop out seeds. Cut cucumber into shreds and set aside.

When water comes to a boil, cook pasta until tender but not mushy. (If chicken is not done, you can still add pasta; remove chicken when it is done.) While pasta is cooking, whisk together sesame oil and paste, sugar, soy, ginger, vinegar, hot oil and pepper in a large bowl. Thin sauce with hot water, so that it is about the consistency of heavy cream; you will need ¼ to ½ cup. Stir in cucumber. When pasta is done, drain it and run pasta (and chicken, if necessary) under cold water. Drain. Shred chicken (the easiest way to do this is with your fingers).

Toss noodles and chicken with sauce and cucumbers. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (the dish may need salt), then garnish and serve.